WHO TURNED OFF SNOOKI?

Viacom, DirectTV Feud Causes Blackout

20 million households can’t access cable channels.

DirectTV better hurry up and make nice with Viacom before it loses all its subscribers. Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1, Comedy Central and other cable channels owned by Viacom went dark for DirectTV subscribers early Wednesday morning, preventing roughly 20 million households across the country from watching SpongeBob and other popular shows. The blackout came as the two companies were fighting over the amount of money will pay for Viacom’s channels. After the blackout, DirectTV encouraged subscribers to watch Viacom-owned shows via the Internet, but Viacom quickly limited its web access. Meanwhile, DirectTV subscribers complained about customer service on Facebook and Twitter, calling for an end to the feud. But DirectTV said in a statement on Wednesday that it “just can’t afford the extreme increases they are asking for” (30 percent). It’s still unclear when the channels will be up and running again.